Trenching device



Aug- 12, 1958 c. M.,KNow| Es 2,846,787

' TRECHING DEVICE Filed Aug. 1, 1955 v 2 sheets-sheet 1 l2 44- $2 56 w 28 /74' esc 1oz 24 5G .40

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. v u INVENTOR Y l Charles M. Knowles ATTORNEYS Aug. 12, 1958 I c. M. KNowLEs 2,846,787

TRENCHING DEVICE Filed Aug. l, 1955 I 2 Sheejzs-Sheet 2 INVENTOR `Charles. M. Knowles ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 2,846,787 TRENCHING DEVICE Charles M. Knowles, St. Petersburg, Fla.

Application August 1, 1955, Serial No. 525,532

4 Claims. (Cl. 37-K-99) power driving means including means for raising `the trenching device intol its inoperative position and for lowering it into its operable position.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a trenching device lwith means for dispatching the excavated earth to a side of the trench.

This invention also contemplates the provision of a trenching device with means for squaring or cleaning out intersecting corners of a trench. p

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a ditching or trenching device of the type referred to above which may be easily installed upon conventional tractors or other similar vehicles, the device ,being economical to manufacture, non-complex in construction and assembly, and durable in use.

Other and further objects of this invention will become more levident from a consideration of the following specitcation when `read in conjunction with the annexed draw-4 ings, in which: n

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a trenching device constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the trenching device shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the vertical plane of line 3-3 of Figure l, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail perspective view illustrating certain assembly details of this linvention.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the manner by which the intersecting corners of a trench are cleared and squared.

Figure 6 is a enlarged perspective view of the impeller removed from its' support. Y

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates, in general, a ditching, or trenching device constructed in accordance with the teachings of the instant invention.

The trenching device 10 is seen to comprise a substantially U-shaped frame 12 formed of suitable material and having aVT-shaped -transverse cross-sectional configura-k tion including the continuous web 14 and crosshead 16y therefor. Asvis seen in the drawings, the frame 12 includes a pair of spaced substantially rectangular arms 18, 20 having one of their respective adjacent ends connected to 'a' bight member 22.k The outer endsr ofthe` ICC 2 arms 18, 20 are bent laterally away fromy each other to form the flanges 24, 26, respectively.

The tlanges 24, 26 are bent again, forwardly, to form end extensions 28, 30, and the latter are centrally apertured at 32,34, respectively, to receive the pivot pins 36, 38 for pivotal connection with the ends of a pair of levers 40, 42 connected with and forming part of the conventional hydraulic lift of a tractor or other similar vehicle.

Accidental or inadvertent displacement of the pivot pins 36, 38 is prevented by the diametricallyextending t cotter pins 44, 46. The bight 22 is cut away intermediate its ends to yserve a function to be described below, an'd the web portion 14A thereof is provided with a substantially rectangular, laterally extending plate 48.

A pair of spaced, parallel and substantially rectangular side plates 50, 52 have their respective lower ends iixedlyv secured, as by welding, tothe marginal edge portions at the opposite ends of the plate 48 and extend across and are secured to the adjacent portions ofthe web 14A. A substantially rectangular front plate 54 is disposed between the confronting ends of the bight 22 and is welded thereto as well as to the adjacent side of the web 14A.

A pair of spaced, parallel and elongated hollow tubular.-

pipes 56, 58'have one of their respective ends welded to the upper ends of the plates 50, 52, respectively, and

between and are xedly secured to the opposite ends of v the channel members 60 and 72. Each pair of plates- 64-66 and 68-70 is provided with aligned apertures 74, 76 and 78, 80 to serve a function to be described,

and each pair of plates 64-66 and 68-70 is adapted to receive therebetween vertical standards 82, 84 respectively. The standards 82 and 84 are provided with af plurality of vertically spaced-transversely extending openings 86 which are adapted for selective alignment with the apertures 74, 76 and 78, 80 respectively to receive therethrough the pins 88, 90` which are heldA against accidental or inadvertent axial displacement by the cotter pins 92, 94.

.The trenching tool or implement 96 comprisesa plowshare 98 having a /shaped recess 99 formed in the,y

leading end thereof, an integrally formed arcuate heel 100, a pair of vertically extending moldboards 102, 104;

and a second, reversely extending, plowshare 106 having an arcuate heel 108, and the upper end thereof pivotally mounted at 105 to the standards 82, 84. The sides of the heel are rigidly secured between the moldboards 102, 104 and the unit4 96 is pivotally connected onthe lower ends of the standards 82, 84 by bolts 110 locked by nuts 112. i Each of the moldboards v102, 104 is provided wi an arcuate slot 114 which registers with an opening (not shown) formed in the standards 82, 84 which receive therethrough bolts 116 that are locked by nuts 118. The slot 114 affords means whereby the pitch of the plowshares 98 and 106 may be adjusted, and the pivotal mounting of the plowshare 106 makes it possible to swing it upwardly when not in use. Conventional means, not shown, hold the plowshare 106 in its elevated position, whereby the front plowshare 98 may enter the ground at a steep angle.

An angle iron v120 has Vone of its sides 122' rigidly l3 secured to-the-underside-of-the plate 48, while the other side..124 dependstherefrom.- The angle iron 120 is pro- Theangle iron-134 isalso--provided withA a-reinforcingYA web1136 and-is locked in-adjusted position byfthenutsf The...crosshead-140lof the'anglle iron 134 is substantlally: rectangular. in-coniguration and has welded to the underside thereof an elongated substantially hollowl cylindrical-bearing housing`142. A bearing sleeve 144 is .disposed within the housing 142 and journals an intermediate Aportionof .an impeller shaft -146 therein.

An impeller 150 Ahaving three sets of blades 150A, 150B, and150G integrally-formed-with a hub 154 is ixedly secured tothe-rear end .of the shaft 146.V The setsof-.blades are staggered `with respect-y to each other and .the three blades 150Acomprise sod-cutters which are-followed by the-three wide-earth broadcasting impellers 150B and v'the three follower blades 150C.v

The .front or forward end of the shaft '146 has xedly secured thereto the femaley element 158 vof a universal joint 160. The male-unit 162 of the joint 160 is xedly secured. to one Iend .of a power vtake oifdrive shaft 164 of a conventional tractor (not shown), or other similar vehicle.

Apair of bars 166, 168 arexedly secured to the opposite sides, respectively, of the top plate-59 in spaced substantially .parallelfrelation The bars 166, 168 have their respective forward ends converging inwardly and upwardlyy at166A, 168A and terminate in spaced substantially parallel and proximate relation at 166B,-"16SB. The elements 166, 166A, 166Band 168, 168A and V168B comprise a yoke- 170-which is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 171. that extends diametrically through the spherical boss 172 carried on the .outer end of a conventional hydraulic lift rocker yarm 174 of a tractor. The bars 166, 168 also have rearwardly extending portions.166C, 168C which are welded-to theupper sides of. the pipes 56 58 and tothe U-shaped channel member.. 60. The side plates 50, 52 have integrally formed rearwardlyl extending braces 51, 53 which are welded tothe undersideof the pipes 56, 58 and their ends rigidly connected. to the U-shaped channel member 60.

A'pair of bracket arms176,. 178 lare secured to the outer. ends'of the arms 18 and. 20, respectively, by means ofthebolts 180, 182, and-dependtherefrom. Each of thebracket arms 176, 178are provided with cutting discs 184, 186, respectively, which are mounted on the lower ends thereof on axles 188.

In operation, the-pitch ofthe plowshare 98 is adjusted .to the-desired angle and the Avertical standards 82, 84 .are secured in-their selective -adjusted position to control-the-depth of the trench 190.k The trenching tool 96, is 'now lowered by the..hydraulic .lift which forces the cutting discs-184, 186 into'. theground. The tractor is then placed intomovement and the plowshare 98 is drawnl'intothe ground along, the inclined grade 192. Whenthe desired depth isy reached, the control valve forthe-hydraulic lift is actuated to maintain the plowshare 98 is fixed position, v

The moldboards 102, 104 mold vthe size of the trench which hais-,been previously cut by the cutting discs 184, 186,and .the earth movingyupwardly along the arcuate heel 100 is distributed on one side of the trench 190 by the impeller 150.

Should the depth of the trench be of considerable degree, the pins 88 and 90 are withdrawn to lower the plowshare when the hubs of the discs 184, 186 contact the ground `or whenthelowermost position of the hydraulic system has been reached.l

,Infor-6R10 Salter@ ali@ aleen. gut .intersecting-.corners of the trench 190, the plowshare 106 is lowered to its full line position and the tractor is reversedcausing theplowshare 106 to engage the earth until the end or the corner of the trench is reached as is illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 5 of the drawings. At that time the hydraulic lift is operated raising the levers 40 and 42 and the arm 174 moving the yoke 170 upwardly to elect pivotal and upward movement of the plowshare V106 about the pivot pins 36, 38.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention in detail, it ,will be understood that the same is offered merely by way of example, and that this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. in combination with a tractor having a power take off shaft and a hydraulic lift mechanism, a trenching device, said trenching device comprising a front and rear frame, means rigidly connecting said frames together,

a pair of cutting ground engaging discs, means mounting said cutting discs for rotation on said front frame, means connecting a plow on said rear frame in depending relationship relative thereto, an impeller mounted 1 on said front frame above said plow for distributing the earth from said plow, means connecting said impeller for rotation with said power take olf shaft, and means pivotally connecting said front frame with said hydraulic lift mechanism.

2. A trenching device comprising a substantially U- shaped front frame includinga pair of spaced arm members having a pair of their respective adjacent ends connected with a bight member, a bracket arm iixedly secured to each of said arms of said frame and depending therefrom, a ground engaging disc rotatably mounted on each of said depending bracket arms, an impeller mounted for rotation on said front frame, a rear frame, means rigidly securing said front frame to said rear frame, a vertical standard for each side of said rear fra-me, a plow mounted on the lower ends of said vertical standards, means disposed adjacent the upper ends of said standards for selectively vertically adjusting the plow relative to said rear frame, said plow being disposed below said impeller, said impeller distributing the earth from said plow, and a yoke having one of its ends fixedly secured to said front frame, the other end of said yoke extending upwardly and forwardly therefrom.

3. A trenchin-g device comprising a substantiallyk U shaped front frame including a pair of spaced substantially parallel arms, said arms having one of their respective -adjacent ends lconnected with a bight member, a plate lixedly secured to said bight member and projecting vertically therefrom, a pair of spaced substantially parallel pipes having one of their respective adjacent ends ixedly connected to said plate, said pipes projecting rearwardly from said plate, a rear frame, means fixedly securing said rear frame lto said other ends of saidppipes, `a pair of vertically extending standards mounted in and depending from said rear frame in laterally spaced relation, a plow iixedly secured to the lower-ends of said vertical standards, means at the upper ends of said standards for securing said plow in vertically adjusted position relative to` saidfrear frame, an impeller mounted for rotation on said front frame for distributing the earth from said plow, a bracket arm adjustablylmounted on each of said arms of said U-shaped frame, respectively, said bracket arms depending from said arms of said frame and having rotatably mounted on the lower ends thereof a pair of ground'en-vv nected yby a bight member, said bight-member having a rearwardly projecting substantially rectangular plate integrallyI formed, therewith, a vertically extending; plate,-

. 5 disposed at each side of said last named plate, a front plate xedly secured to said bight member and to said pair of plates, a pipe Xedly secured to the upper ends of each of said vertically extending plates and to said front plate, a top plate xedly secured to the upper side of said pair of pipes and to said front plate, said pipes having their respective other ends xedly secured to a substantially U- shaped channel member, a pair of at plates for each end of said channel member, said flat plates having one of their respective ends lixedly secured to said channel member and the other ends thereof projecting away therefrom, said other ends of said flat plates being tix-edly secured to the opposite ends of a second U-shaped channel member, a vertical standard slidably disposed between each of said pairs of at plates, means yfor supporting said standards in adjusted vertical position, a plow mounted on said vertical standards adjacent the lower ends thereof and on one side thereof, a second plow mounted o-n said standards adjacent the lower ends thereof on the opposite side thereof, said second plow facing in a direction reverse to the direction said rst plow faces, a moldboard for each side of said plows, means mounting one of said plows and said moldboards for pivotal adjustment on said standar-ds, -an impeller mounted for rotation on said bight member for distributing the earth from said plow, a bracket arm depending from each of said arms of said U- shaped frame, a ground engaging disc mounted for rotation on the lower end of each of said bracket arms, and a yoke having one of its ends fixedly secured to said top plate and projecting upwardly and forwardly thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,051,443 Gravely Aug. 18, 1936 2,510,779 Hancock June 6, 1950 2,578,128 Collins Dec. 11, 1951 2,614,477 Habenicht Oct. 21, 1952 2,748,507 Appleton June 5, 1956 2,752,700 Tanner July 3, 1956 

